


Turning Tides

by HufflepuffChildOfApollo



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Elizabeth Swann, Boats and Ships, By Which I Mean Norrington, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, He Isn't Dying In This, In Both Senses of "Ships", Jack being Jack, Minor Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner, More like indifferent acquaintances-to-friends-to-lovers, Not Canon Compliant, Not Really Character Death, Some romance but that isn't the main focus, There are definitely other characters I'll add later, because I said so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23121592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffChildOfApollo/pseuds/HufflepuffChildOfApollo
Summary: Josephine Lionell was a simple young woman, and a caretaker of Governor Swann's only daughter. She never would have dreamed of associating with pirates. But when an attack on Port Royal sends her chasing after a ship she hadn't believed existed, her point of view changes drastically.
Relationships: Elizabeth Swann & Original Female Character(s), James Norrington/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1: Sailors' Superstition

Josephine Lionell stood upon the deck of the HMS _Dauntless_ , squinting into the unearthly fog as she leaned against the rail. A few yards away, Josephine's twelve-year-old charge Elizabeth Swann stood at the bow, her small hands clutching the rail. She didn't look the least bit nervous as she looked over the side of the boat; after a few moments, she heard Elizabeth singing softly.

 _"....drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up_ _—"_

Before Josephine could say a word, Joshamee Gibbs — a sailor on the _Dauntless —_ had stormed over to the girl, clutching her shoulder. 

"Quiet, missy!" he snarled. "Cursed pirates sail these waters! You want to call 'em down on us?"

Josephine opened her mouth to protest the sailor's rough behavior, but Lieutenant Norrington beat her to it. 

"Mr. Gibbs, that will do!" he snapped.

"But she was singin' about pirates," Gibbs argued. "Bad luck to sing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog...mark my words."

Josephine shook her head. _Sailors and their superstition,_ she thought. As Governor Swann joined the group, she walked over; the governor and Lieutenant Norrington seemed to be giving Elizabeth a lecture on the impropriety of singing such songs. 

"I apologize, Governor Swann, I'm afraid it's entirely my fault," Josephine said, joining them. "I was discussing the Caribbean's alleged piracy problem with one of the maids and was unaware Elizabeth was in earshot." Josephine's face heated as the Lieutenant fixed a disapproving stare on her. 

"In the future, Miss Lionell, please be more discrete with your discussions," the Governor scolded gently. Josephine nodded her head. 

"Yes, Governor Swann." 

"Actually, I find it all fascinating," Elizabeth chipped in. 

"Yes, that's what concerns me," Governor Swann said. 

Elizabeth sighed, leaning on the rail again; a moment later she jumped up, shouting to the departing men.

"Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!"

Josephine raced to the side with the men. 

"Man overboard!" Norrington shouted. "Fetch a hook, haul him aboard!"

The men hurried to haul the boy up; Josephine noted he couldn't have been older than Elizabeth. 

"He's still breathing," Norrington said. Josephine sighed in relief, but then—

"Mary, mother of God!" Gibbs exclaimed, staring out at the water; the group followed his gaze to the water, where a burning ship floated, half-sunk, on the waves. 

"What happened here?" Governor Swann exclaimed. 

"It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed," Norrington explained. 

Gibbs scoffed. "A lot of good it did them." The Governor and Norrington looked at him. "Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying it. Pirates."

"There's no proof of that. It was probably an accident," Governor Swann said nervously. 

"Rouse the Captain immediately! Heave to and take in sail. Launch the boats," Norrington ordered. The sailors ran about, following his instructions. 

"Elizabeth, I want you to accompany the boy. He'll be in _your_ charge. Take care of him." Governor Swann nudged Elizabeth forward, before turning to Josephine. "Keep an eye on Elizabeth."

"Yes, Governor Swann." Josephine watched Elizabeth as she walked over to the boy, bending down to stroke his soaking hair. 

The boy awoke, panting; Elizabeth said something to soothe him, and he said something back before fainting. Elizabeth picked something up, and Josephine was about to ask her about it when Lieutenant Norrington approached. 

"Has he said anything?" he asked. 

"His name's William Turner," Elizabeth replied. "That's all I found out."

Norrington nodded to a sailor. "Take him below."

Josephine stayed where she was, watching the sailors carry the boy; she turned to Elizabeth, but the girl was distracted by something in the fog; before she could ask what, Governor Swann called for her. 

"Miss Lionell, I wish to thank you for coming with us to Port Royal, I know I haven't expressed my gratitude yet. However, I would appreciate if you kept rather a closer eye on my daughter; these notions she has, her interest in pirates...it's rather concerning. I just want her to be safe." 

Josephine nodded. "Of course, Governor Swann. I'll keep my eyes open."


	2. Chapter 2: Capture and Pursuit

**eight years later**

"Josephine? Josephine! Wake up!"

Josephine blinked, rubbing her eyes. "Aunt Mathew?" She squinted through the dark in the Swanns' guest room for her aunt's face. Outside she thought she could hear something like thunder. 

"Port Royal is under attack," Aunt Mathew whispered frightfully. "Pirates."

Josephine's eyes widened. She jumped out of bed, jerking her dressing gown on over her nightgown. 

"Run, hide — I heard the door and a gunshot, Estrella was running —" Aunt Mathew said, referring to the maid in the Swanns' house, where Josephine and Aunt Mathew were staying while Josephine visited with Elizabeth for the first time since the former governess had returned to England to care for her mother. 

"Hide where?" Josephine asked, trembling a little. "Is there anywhere —"

She was cut off by shouting in another room. 

"-It's hot! You burned me!" a male voice cried. "Come on!" another barked; Josephine heard footsteps running through the hall. 

_Elizabeth._ "Aunt Mathew, go and hide. I'm going to help Elizabeth." Seeing her aunt begin to protest, she put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be fine." She picked up a candlestick from her bedside for protection, bundling her dressing gown around her as she ran out of the room. 

When she reached Elizabeth's room, though, it was empty; a weight fell like a stone in her stomach. Without thinking, she ran down the stairs. 

Outside, chaos reigned as she ran down the street. She swerved and ducked to avoid the pirates wreaking havoc on the street, her heart racing as she caught up to the pirates with Elizabeth — a scrawny fellow and a heavyset one with stringy hair. 

She passed Will Turner fighting off pirates with his hatchet — He had spotted Elizabeth, though, and in the second he was distracted another pirate knocked him on the head and he passed out cold. Josephine cringed as she ran past, able to keep up with the pirates and Elizabeth, who were coming up on the harbor —

Then in the distance, Josephine saw something that stopped her heart. A huge ship, with tattered black sails and a charred black hull. A ship she'd only heard stories of from the sailors who had visited her father when she was a little girl — _The Black Pearl._

The pirates pushed Elizabeth into a rowboat, and started rowing out to the ship. Thinking quickly, Josephine threw off her dressing gown and, once the boat was on its way out, slipped into the water. 

The water was cold, and her nightgown sticking to her legs made it difficult to move, but she was slowly able to swim and keep up with the boat, keeping her head down and mentally thanking her aunt for using dark fabric for her nightgown. 

Finally, after what seemed like far too long, when Josephine's arms were aching from swimming, the boat stopped beside the ship. Josephine clung to a rope as she watched the pirates take Elizabeth aboard. Once they were gone, she started the slow climb up. While she climbed, she could hear the discussion going on above her. 

"...I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal," she could hear Elizabeth say. 

"There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that you want?" another voice asked. Josephine supposed that must be the captain. 

"I want you to leave and never come back." Elizabeth, to her credit, didn't sound frightened. Josephine kept climbing. 

She crawled over the railing in time to see Elizabeth put something in the captain's hand; he walked away. Josephine hid behind a barrel. 

"Still the guns and stow 'em," he ordered. "Signal the men, set the flags and make good to clear port."

"Wait!" Elizabeth shouted. "You have to take me to shore. According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren—"

The pirate captain interrupted her. "First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing," he said. "And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call _'guidelines'_ than actual rules. Welcome aboard the _Black_ _Pearl_ , Miss Turner," he said smugly. 

Josephine frowned. _Turner?_ she thought, puzzled; then, _oh, Elizabeth must have used a false name. Clever._

As the pirates took Elizabeth off the deck, Josephine slipped further into the shadows. And there she waited. 


End file.
